diff --git a/src/documents/tasks.py b/src/documents/tasks.py
index 6bc8030557..6d0147a844 100644
--- a/src/documents/tasks.py
+++ b/src/documents/tasks.py
@@ -540,7 +540,11 @@ def empty_trash(doc_ids=None) -> None:
         deleted_document_ids = list(documents.values_list("id", flat=True))
         # Temporarily connect the cleanup handler
         models.signals.post_delete.connect(cleanup_document_deletion, sender=Document)
-        documents.delete()  # this is effectively a hard delete
+        # media.lock before Django's delete transaction: post_delete runs
+        # cleanup_document_deletion inside it while the rows are locked, and
+        # that handler re-enters the lock instead of waiting.
+        with media_lock():
+            documents.delete()  # this is effectively a hard delete
         logger.info(f"Deleted {len(deleted_document_ids)} documents from trash")
 
         if settings.AUDIT_LOG_ENABLED:
diff --git a/src/documents/tests/test_file_moves.py b/src/documents/tests/test_file_moves.py
index 452c5fce87..ce6829dbfa 100644
--- a/src/documents/tests/test_file_moves.py
+++ b/src/documents/tests/test_file_moves.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from documents.file_moves import request_file_move
 from documents.models import CustomField
 from documents.models import Document
 from documents.tasks import bulk_update_documents
+from documents.tasks import empty_trash
 from paperless.celery import app as celery_app
 from paperless.middleware import FileMoveMiddleware
 from paperless_testing.factories import CorrespondentFactory
@@ -833,3 +834,30 @@ class TestCeleryTaskScope:
 
         assert (paperless_dirs.originals_dir / "first-renamed.pdf").is_file()
         assert (paperless_dirs.originals_dir / "second-renamed.pdf").is_file()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+class TestEmptyTrashLockOrdering:
+    def test_hard_delete_takes_media_lock_outside_transaction(
+        self,
+        document: Document,
+        paperless_dirs: PaperlessDirs,
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        GIVEN:
+            - A trashed document with its file on disk
+        WHEN:
+            - The trash is emptied for it
+        THEN:
+            - media.lock is never first acquired inside a transaction
+            - The document row and its file are gone
+        """
+        document.delete()
+
+        with record_media_lock_acquisitions() as acquisitions:
+            empty_trash([document.pk])
+
+        assert acquisitions
+        assert not any(a.in_user_transaction for a in acquisitions)
+        assert not Document.global_objects.filter(pk=document.pk).exists()
+        assert not (paperless_dirs.originals_dir / "original.pdf").exists()